HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS AND RESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE OF NORTHERN IMMIGRANTS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS, KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

The study looked at the housing situation of migrants from the north in the Ilorin Metropolis of Kwara State. Examining the housing characteristics of northern immigrants in the Ilorin Metropolis, such as toilet, bathroom, kitchen, electricity, drainage, sources of water, as well as methods of waste disposal and determining the factors influencing their preference for housing were the specific objectives. Questionnaire and interview served as survey instruments employed to gather information from 360 randomly chosen immigrants from the north. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were used to analyse the data. Findings revealed that a significant portion of the respondents (60.8%) moved to Ilorin Metropolis in quest of employment. Trading (30.6%), alms seeking (29.4%), and commercial motorcycle riding (17.5%) were the major economic activities common among the northern immigrants in Ilorin Metropolis. The results also revealed that a large number of the immigrants resided in rented (83.6%) single-family homes (41.7%), which were notable for having a pit toilet (70.8%), open space kitchen (67.8%), open drainage (46.7%), and covered wells (30.6%) as a source of water. In the research area, the primary determinants of northern migrants' home preferences were their socioeconomic level, the affordability of housing, and their employment security. It is glaring that northern immigrants in Ilorin metropolis lack decent housing facilities, and the government should provide affordable public housing that is supplied with electricity, a potable water supply, and appropriate management of public waste disposal facilities for non-natives.